Adil Najam
The stream of disturbing images from Islamabad continues. It has left one dumbfounded. But one must never be silent in the face of injustice. Of the many disturbing reports and images that have been floating in, there is probably none more poignantly disturbing than this one from ARY:
Violence, of course, can only beget violence, and one saw this too in the manhandling of the State Minister for Information, Tariq Azeem. Yet more evidence that violence is replacing discourse as the mode of disagreement in Pakistani society.
This is not a question of which side you are on. Ultimately you have to be against violence. We have written about shameful violence and police brutality before - tearing down the shalwar of a young man in a ‘missing persons’ protest and then also against the lawyers during the CJ movement. But this is not just shameful; it is needless. Now there are also reports of muzzling the media; another tactic we have seen before. It demonstrates the government’s slipping grip on power, but it also demonstrates a society that is so torn that every issues - may it be religious, social or political - has to end in violence.
The government, after all, has already gotten the verdict it wanted. At least let the people vent out their anger. There is nothing to be gained from this violence. For a nation that has already lost so much, this is merely also losing whatever little dignity that might have remained. As I have written already in a comment elsewhere, history shall judge the merit of the decision that was given by the Supreme Court on the 28th of September, but the violence of the 29th of September was shameful and needless and will remain (yet another) blot of our national political psyche.
PatExpat,
I understand that blaming the Pak Army for the misfortunes of Pakistan is in vogue these days but you are taking a tone that suggests that the entire Pakistan Army is corrupt.
The $5 Billion you speak of is not being distributed among the generals while they sit around a desk and throw money at each other. Pakistan Army is one of the largest in the world and in the pre 9/11 world was hurting for weapon systems because of your so called democratically elected governments while their enemy was on a buying spree during those days. They have to make up for the lost time and also for the future to keep up with the sworn enemy and if you ever get a chance to check the prices of military hardware in the international market, you will find out that $5 Billion doesn’t even cover a decent shopping trip. The existing missile and nuclear program of Pakistan also eats a lot of money (Over $1.2 Billion a year by some reports).
Lets talk about the 4 star general and his BMW. Seems like you would like the general to travel on the roof of public transportation. Name one country in the world where a general retires poor. It takes a lot of effort, hard work and intelligence to reach the rank of a general and they should be paid well just like a CEO of a public company. If you are good at your profession you should be well off.
I would also like to point out that driving a BMW should not automatically mean that the general is corrupt. It may be that the plot he was allocated in Gujranwala when he was a major 25 years ago went up 100 times in value, enabling him to buy a BMW which every Nathu Khaira in Pakistan has, ever thought about that ? And by the way did Khalid bin Walid , Tariq Bin Ziyaad and Salah ud Din Ayubi ride on the best horses available at the time or walked barefooted during the wars ? ( that was just a light natured comment not grounds for further arguments)
Now lets talk about the bad seeds in the army. Of course they are there just like there are bad clerks in government offices and bad teachers in government schools. That is just who we are, corrupt people by nature and army is nothing more than people like you and I wearing a khaki uniform but we don’t call all clerks corrupt or all teachers bad then why pick on the entire army?
I am quite sick of hearing about the rape and atrocities of Pakistani Army in 1971. Were all 100,000 or so Pakistani soldiers in East Pakistan raping Bengali women? Were they all slaughtering the poor Bengali men? and don’t even start on Baluchistan before reading the entire history of the conflict and the social complexities in that province that lead to a clash.
Next time when a flood hits lower Sindh or an earthquake jolts the Northern areas I would like you see who gets there first to help people, The corrupt and cruel men of the Pakistani Army or your so called political workers bankrolled by your so called political leaders with the money they have looted.
I would end this on one note, not the most corrupt general in the history of Pakistan could steal 1% of the money in his 40 years of service than the amount stolen by your democratically elected leaders in 10 years. Think about that!
The main problem in Pakistan is what u can call influence or
the mentality, we are all made out of that mud, RURAL AND URBAN PAKISTAN, that is what we show, see and do everyday, untill and unless we bring these together and
mould a minimum decent mentality by returning to old Islamic morals and respects without age difference instead of far west bagarres and violant temprament.
We have to abandon the ” Lathi, dangaan, kut, phainti, giddar kut, Kanble kut, Chittrole, Chittar kut etc ( all terms confirmed by Muzang Thaana and custody Punjab )
They exist even in the western jails and garde a vues, but
why should we follow the west in their savageries.
Mr. Salahuddin,
You forgot one the most corrupt institution in your list: Pakistan Army which has gorged up 5 Billion dollars so far in US aid without a penny accounted for. (I am not making this up: Read the Carnegie Report).
Why did Tauqir Zia when he was Chairman PCB gifted the land behind National Stadium (belonging to PCB) to Army where Army is developing houses and selling them for Rs. 4 Crore each. How can a 4 star General drive a 7 series BMW?
You can hand a sentence to a politician (rather hang him), a lawyer, media men but the Army is immune. They murdered Bengalis in 1971, not a single Army men has been tried. They raped their women, nobody mentions it. They recklessly kill Baluchis everyday and there is no mention in the news paper. One major raped Dr. Shazia in Sui Gas and Dr. Shazia had to run to Canada to save herself. Mukhtaran Mai gets gang raped and Pervez Musharraf claims that people claim such things to migrate to Canada. And after branding Benazir corrupt, Musharraf is doing a deal with her granting her immunity from future court cases (a feat no civillian government achieve in this country).
As an institution, Pak Army has a record of largest killings, rapings, lootings and corruption and surprisingly, they are sacred cows and immune.
On Mr Toor’s light hearted observation.
I can only say that this is exactly the sort of thinking that has brought us to this situation. If a human has enough food and basic shelter he should be satisfied.
That brings me to conclusion that in general Pakistanis are over fed and over tolerated. They should all be sent to work to get rid of excess fat.
If any of our brothers or sisters who think they are not having a good deal in this country then they should cross over and see how long the others will put up with their unreasonable behaviour. That includes all who dont take part in building of our nation but are very happy to take part in destruction.
Sallahudin
On Freedom of Expression in the homeland:
A weak dog was crossing the border from India to Pakistan when he saw another fat one coming from the other side. Here is how the conversation goes:
Pakistani dog: Hey, what’s up, are you moving over to Pakistan?
Indian dog: Yes dear, you know, there is no food out here in India. Lots of people live under poverty line and it becomes difficult for us to find food. I thought Pakistan would be better - as I can see from your health. But why are you crossing the border over to India?
Pakistani dog: You are right. We get sufficient to eat and in general life is ok but there is one genuine problem we are facing in Pakistan.
Indian dog: And what is that, to be precise.
Pakistani dog: Well, everything is fine in this piece of land except that we are not allowed to bark! So keep this thing in mind when you cross over. Good luck!
It seems incredible that this generation of Pakistanis have abandoned their brain so much that they are unable to comprehend this devestating situation developing in our beloved nation.
All four institutions judiciary, media, politicians and government are riding on a horse which seems to be high on banned sustances. No one has the gall to stand back and think with their empty brain which way we are heading.
We are doing what the westernised nations namely America wants us to do. When American and allies entered Afghanistan and Iraq it was widely interpreted that Pakistan will be next. As far as i can gather America or its allies dont have the gutts to enter our nation. They cannot control around twenty million muslims, how are they going to control 160 million. That made them devise a plan wherby they dont have to do nothing rather we will destroy each other to make it easy for satan.
All our differences aside we need to sit togather agree to differ and work for the country. Why is it that everyone in Pakistan wants to be the Prime minister nothing else?
Sadly all our four institutions are battling to hid their incompetences and the way they are embrioled in corruption. Is there any party in Pakistan ahich itself is democratic? so it is hypocritical of them to beat drums to that effect.
I totally diagree with your comments, i like to think that people need to look at themselves first before they criticize others. These so called politicians who are resigning from the parliament, who are they kidding. The assemblies are suppose to desolved very soon and to me this is a synical attempt to show hapeless public that they care about them. Yet in reality they are only losing about two weeks pay. How devestatingly hypocritical of them.
I also would like to ask a question. Does every sane person not agree that by beating ministers are we not a precidence to be followed later on? if this happens to the ministers of the new government will they be right in crying foul? As they say you reap what you sow.
With regards
Sallahudin
I had been shaken to see all that drama… How could Government be so much cruel to the people? But this is really sad that they claim to have given freedom to media… also read other interesting posts at the following link:
http://www.chowrangi.com/police-of-terroristan.htm l
http://www.chowrangi.com/why-the-nation-doesnt-com e-out-on-the-streets.html
the so called “CIVIL” institutions reacted as usual, when the court ruled in favor of MUSH, all of the sudden the lawyers & yellow journalists dropped any sense of civility & went on full blown rampage, they deserved it since these very looyahs & churnalists were totally silent when SHARIF & CO attacked the supreme court & were bowing their heads in front of ZIA, so i ask every one a question why this sudden impulse to rid musharaf, iam guessing the reason is more cynical than most would want every one to believe. GOOD